by Nan Dale
Jess held his eyes and then looked away before speaking very slowly. “You were right. I was hanging around the wrong crowd. I should have listened. A few evenings, while you were at lacrosse practice, I hooked up with one of the football players.”
John felt a punch to the gut initially followed by a sense of relief. “OK,” he said slowly. “Was it the football player that wanted to hang out on that dreaded prom night?”
Jess lowered her eyes. “Yes.”
John continued. “Did you continue to date him after we broke up?”
“Yes,” Jessica said, holding his eyes. “I was so caught up with my newfound fame that I … kind of lost myself after that. I had big dreams. And this guy, he was being recruited by all the top schools, and I really thought that he was going to be the next thing. I am so sorry, John. I know I broke your heart. And … for what it’s worth, we only dated for a month and then I found out he had a few other girls on the side. I felt so foolish. To top it off, I discovered that I was about two months pregnant at the time. I didn’t tell either of you, because I really didn’t know who the father was. I felt ashamed. I also felt too proud to call you and admit how foolish I had been.”
John instinctively reached out and touched her hand. “That must have been awful for you, Jess.”
She looked down and tears came streaming down her face. “Yes, John, it was. When I found out that I was pregnant in August, I took off and moved to California on a whim and didn’t say a word to my parents. In fact, they didn’t meet Lauren until she was a year old.”
“How on earth did you manage?” John asked softly.
“Well, my mini fame and article helped a lot, and I got a role as a personal assistant/publicist for an up-and-coming actress who is an A-type actress now. She paid me well and let me write under a pen name. I made a lot of excuses to my parents, and on Lauren’s first birthday, they made a surprise visit to California. And that’s when they met her. They have been brilliant grandparents since. I am not sure why I hid it from them initially. I think I just had more shame than anything else at not knowing who the father was.”
John looked at his watch—it was almost nine, so they had been at the diner for almost an hour, and he felt that it would be the right thing to go before he got sucked in by her. He moved to the close, as he often did when he was trying to pitch a transaction.
“Jess, do you think that your daughter would be willing to take a paternity test? I know you are fine and have likely made the decision not to complicate her life, but … it would mean a lot to me. And, if she is mine, you know that I would look after her and welcome her to the family with open arms.”
“OK, I will ask Lauren. But I can’t make any promises. I won’t make her do anything that she isn’t comfortable with.”
“Thank you, Jess, it would mean so much to me,” John and Jess held each other’s eyes for a second longer, before he made his excuses and left the diner. It was an emotional coffee, but he was glad that it was behind him. John was pleased to have ridden his bike, since he had to clear his head. Seeing Jessica had brought back old memories, and a different connection from the one he had with Ruth. It wasn’t closer or more significant; it was just different. Jess had known him in his formative years and really had a good handle on his skeletons and his fears. She knew things about him that he had never told anyone. Seeing Jess again was unsettling and even destabilizing. He had worked so hard to move on from her. He had mixed feelings about her living so close to his family. Eventually she and Ruth would have to meet, and hopefully, they could keep it cordial.
As he rode back with the wind blowing across his face, he wondered when he would tell Ruth about his meeting with Jess. Whether or not he shared a daughter with Jess, Ruth had a right to know that she lived in a neighboring town. They were bound to run into each other at some point, or Jess could even come up in conversation with old high school friends. John’s life had just gotten more complicated and he couldn’t shake the feeling that Aaron had something to do with it.
Chapter 12
“Just in time.” Ruth smiled as John rode in at nine thirty a.m. “Can you take the kids to the park or something? I need a couple more hours of concentrated cooking.”
John noticed that her excitement and prep seemed completely out of character and out of proportion to Vanessa’s birthday. She seemed almost frenetic and wild with excitement.
John took the boys out for a walk around Eagle Rock. Ruth was acting very odd. Just one month ago, Ruth talked of getting Vanessa a cake for her birthday. Now she was planning a lunch, cooking German food from scratch, and inviting Patrick. That was more than what she usually did for her own brother!
The table was set for seven with a full three-course meal. Vanessa practically skipped downstairs. She was generally a very positive being—it took little to keep her spirits up. However, since she and Patrick had started dating, John and Ruth had watched her go from a girl to a young lady.
At half past twelve, the doorbell rang and in came Patrick with a large bouquet of flowers. Vanessa lit up like a candle and John stood by awkwardly as they embraced.
“Let’s not kill our appetites just yet,” Ruth said.
A few minutes later, Katrina, another German au pair in the neighborhood, came by for the brunch.
“Alles Gute zum Geburtstag,” she announced while giving Vanessa a bear hug and then rattling off some more words in German.
The two little boys came running down the stairs, clearly caught in a game of cat and mouse. John found the activity unsettling and suggested to Ruth that they should probably start eating brunch before it got cold.
As they all sat down for brunch and Ruth brought in the food, John remarked at how hard Ruth had worked that morning.
“In honor of Vanessa’s birthday today, I have cooked Bratkartoffeln—which to John and Patrick is boiled potatoes that have been fried in onions and turkey bacon—bratwurst, which is a German sausage, and spätzle, a German pasta.” Ruth had completed a German student exchange program in her teens and had come away with a couple of culinary dishes.
“Wow, thank you, Mrs. Beard. It looks and smells like home,” Vanessa noted.
“I don’t think I have ever had traditional German food before, so I am excited,” Patrick added.
“Aren’t potatoes American?” asked Ruth and John’s younger son.
“No, silly. Potatoes are eaten all over the world,” retorted their elder, know-it-all son. “It’s how you cook them that makes them different from one country to the next.”
Halfway through lunch, Patrick accidentally dropped his fork on the ground in front of Vanessa’s feet. Vanessa leaned over to pick it up—and then suddenly let out a light scream of glee. Patrick got down on one knee. John’s eyes widened.
Patrick took a deep breath. “Vanessa, you have stolen my heart. After eight months together, there is no one who I would rather spend my life with. You are my breath, my joy, my nutrients, my light. When I am with you, I have purpose. I see my life thirty, forty, fifty years into the future. I see our family and I love the man I am becoming with you.” Patrick paused. “Vanessa, will you make me the happiest man alive and agree to be my wife?”
Vanessa’s face was streaked with tears, and you could clearly see the love emanating from her heart. “Yes,” she whispered.
He slipped a ring onto her finger and said, “Vanessa, although I cannot afford to get you the ring of my choice, this ring here is my initial one and has been selected from my heart. When I am famous, I promise you, your brand-new ring will be the envy of every woman.”
Although clearly in on it, Ruth was also full of tears. John gave her a hug, proud that she could help orchestrate such a beautiful and unforgettable moment.
As John continued to hug her, he realized that he had discovered one missing piece of the puzzle. Ruth and Patrick’s friendship was tied to this engagement. But what about the money flowing out of Ruth’s personal account to Patrick? Did she help Patrick buy t
he ring? Patrick had told them little about his background. Other than his pristine Queen’s English, they knew nothing about him. Ruth had deduced that he was a product of an upper-middle-class background just by his accent and some of his life experiences. Yet, she said, she had seen an unexplained sadness in his eyes. He’d mentioned that he was estranged from his parents. Ruth had done some initial digging and found that he had no digital presence. He wasn’t on Facebook or any social media platform, which was very unusual for someone his age. Although warned by John, Ruth said that she trusted him. She was confident that they would find out the truth in good time.
As the lunch festivities continued, John learned that Patrick had called Vanessa’s parents in Germany and got their permission. At one point, Vanessa asked whether Patrick had told his own parents. Patrick grew quiet and then brushed off the question, saying that he had not been able to get in touch with them yet, but that he knew deep in his heart that they would agree that he was making the right choice.
As John watched the happy couple, he made a note to get a private detective on Patrick. After all, he was about to undergo a private investigation and he could be one degree of separation from a person who could easily be a serial killer, or a lord.
“Congratulations to you both,” John said, working hard to sound genuine. “How noble of you! In the absence of your father being on-site, may I take you out for breakfast tomorrow morning?”
“Sure thing,” responded Patrick.
“Great. I have a rather hectic day, but shall we try Le Pain Quotidien at eight a.m.?”
“I’ll be there,” Patrick replied, looking rather pleased for some brotherly advice.
John was feeling quite pleased with himself for thinking on his feet. “Ruth, my parents were going to take the boys to a baseball game this afternoon, but they didn’t want to barge in on our brunch. Let me go ahead and drop the kids off at theirs.”
On his way to the car, he got a text from Aaron. “I have something to share with you,” the message read. “Meet me at MSU for the football game at two thirty.”
“Got it,” he texted back. He jumped in the car and slotted the keys into the ignition. Suddenly, the conversation he had just had with Jess about Aaron resurfaced. He heard Jess’s voice from twenty-five years ago. “I would wear a bulletproof vest with that guy.” Jess might be right. He turned off his car, went back into the house, and headed straight for the medicine cabinet. He took out a bottle of pills and put a few inside his pocket. If Aaron really were behind all this nonsense, reason and talking would get him nowhere. With Aaron, you had to play dirty. He had to get in the mud with the pig, or else Aaron would strike again. He was probably planning something at the football game. With the pills in his pocket, he jumped back into the car and headed off to drop the kids at his parents’ house.
Chapter 13
The parking lot was relatively full when John arrived at MSU. He parked on the highest floor of the parking deck and then took the elevator down to the ground floor and walked on to the field. He scanned the crowd for Aaron, who was seated on the MSU side, strategically next to the band.
He is planning something, John thought. Aaron always sat next to the band when he wanted to have his conversation drowned out to the people around him.
John was feeling quite irritated by Aaron and he was suddenly seeing him in a different light. That look in his eyes that John had always thought was cheeky now looked vindictive. How had he missed this in his buddy all these years? Or had it always been there? Grabbing the pills had been impulsive, but he was feeling cornered by Aaron at the worst possible time, and he knew that he had to fire back.
Aaron had an unshakable drive and right now he was the target. What was he up to? He would try every single trick in the book unless he hit back. He knew Aaron well and had never been on his wrong side. Aaron was willful and very determined to get his own way unless you matched him.
He sat down next to him. “So what’s up?”
Serendipitously, the band started playing and Aaron leaned over. “I had a visitor … or shall I say some visitors … last night.”
John raised his eyebrows. ”Seriously?! That sounds like a scene out of Ozark.”
“They need a chunk of the investment by tomorrow morning at eight a.m. or we could lose the plot,” Aaron lamented.
“Jeez,” said John. “That’s insane. Why the rush? What have you gotten yourself into?”
Aaron was quiet. His eyes looked bloodshot. His lips were dry. John couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. Or was he pretending? He had seen Aaron pull this card to avoid taking a final in high school. He would jump into his parents’ pool and keep his eyes open for a minute—no goggles. That created the red eyes. Not only that, he wouldn’t drink anything for six hours. After all these years, now John was on the receiving end of Aaron’s games.
“Your lips look dry. How about I get us some drinks first? And then we can strategize,” said John, and he headed for the drink stands.
While getting drinks, John slipped a couple of pills into Aaron’s drink. That’s payback for Friday night and for putting my Monday morning drug test in jeopardy. He then called Ruth. “I have an emergency. Can you meet me at the exit from the parking lot at MSU in twenty minutes?”
He took his time heading back to allow the sleeping pills to dissolve fully. Aaron took a long sip of Coke. If he suspected that it tasted different, he didn’t let on. He then continued, “John. I really need your help. That money for the partnership … can you lend it to me for thirty days or so? I promise I can pay you back with interest.”
John watched him closely, knowing that the Tylenol PM would take a few minutes to work. It would be too difficult to carry Aaron out, and he also knew that he needed at least ten minutes to allow the pills to work, so he said, “I feel that someone is listening in. … Can we walk out to the parking lot for a minute?”
John walked with Aaron to the entrance. “I need that money for my partnership,” John said. “Why don’t you take a loan out from the bank? Why is there so much pressure on you? Typically, funds are raised over a period of time. Have you been raising these funds for a while and are approaching a deadline?”
“I am suddenly not feeling too great, actually,” Aaron said. “Can we go to the car?”
John couldn’t see Ruth, so he started stalling. “Wait, this is important. Let’s get back to the money. I want to help you, but I can’t unless I know the full story. Who is asking for it and what is the rush?” As John asked, Aaron suddenly swayed and he caught him. Just in time, Ruth drove by.
Chapter 14
One minute she was at the entrance to the stadium, and the next minute, and in slow motion, Ruth watched in shock and horror as her husband dragged a very drowsy Aaron into her car. She had seen that look in his eyes before. The wild look of quiet determination.
“Open the back door,” John said calmly and authoritatively. As they scrambled into the backseat, she put her foot on the gas. “Let’s head home.”
Perplexed, Ruth looked in the rearview mirror and demanded, “What on earth is going on?”
John looked straight ahead, stony faced and unreadable. As she pulled into the driveway, Aaron was fully unconscious. She watched John carry him into the house, quite unable to believe what she was seeing. Impulsively she grabbed her phone, pulled up the neighborhood yoga schedule, and signed up for two back-to-back classes and a salt room. Thank goodness, the boys were at their grandparents’ tonight. Something was not right between John and Aaron. She had a sinking feeling that Aaron had done something to John on Friday night and maybe even Saturday and even Sunday morning, and that this was payback. This was the “other” side of her husband. Having worked at the same firm with him for seven years, she knew him well and knew of his reputation internally. He was a really sweet and straight-up guy … until you crossed him.
She grabbed herself a smoothie from the health store and a kale salad. By the time she got home, it was well after eight.
John was asleep on the sofa. She tiptoed upstairs and found Aaron still unconscious on their master bed. He looked vulnerable and innocent as he slept. Completely unable to process the afternoon's events and absolutely physically and mentally exhausted, Ruth lay down beside him and drifted off to sleep.
Ruth awoke to a heavy body rolling over her and onto the floor. Aaron woke up confused and with a start. “Why am I here, Ruth?” He reached into his pocket, turned on his phone, and then stumbled downstairs. Ruth followed him closely and awkwardly, hoping that John would hear Aaron walking down the stairs from the living room, where she had last left him.
“John? John!” she called out, running out in front of Aaron. Aaron followed her groggily. There was no answer. “I think you passed out after the game,” she said to Aaron. Ruth felt dumb as she led Aaron to the door and then stepped back to let him walk ahead of her. His iPhone powered on and a series of text messages started flowing in.
Ruth could not help but oversee the last text message from John, which was sent around one thirty a.m. It read, “CHECKMATE.”
In a flash, Aaron was out of the house. Two minutes later, an Uber pulled up and Aaron was gone. He didn’t look back. He’d had an interesting reaction to the text. He seemed … defeated?
Ruth thought about John’s text. This was just a game between the two of them? No wonder John didn’t stick around.
Where was John, anyway? This was a bad time to disappear. She checked her text messages. She had one from him at two a.m. “Hi hon. I am so sorry, I have to run to the office to look at some documents for a deal that is pricing in the morning. Thank you for picking us up. Please let Aaron know that I will call him during the day. Hope Aaron is feeling better!”
What an odd text, Ruth thought.
The Uber dropped off Aaron on the corner of North Mountain and Berkeley Place and he walked up to his house, unlocked the door, then put the chain on and practically fell into the sofa. He was still feeling a little heady. John must have put something in his drink. But he couldn’t prove it. It was likely payback for the party on Friday night, so he really couldn’t say anything. John was sharp. Aaron had won the first two rounds, but John had won this one. He would back off now—this game was over. Gentlemen’s handshake.
